Amouage: Epic v Memoir man - my thoughts

Memoir starts out with a green, herbaceous fern note; kinda like the fern in Phenhaligon's English Fern. This sort of green is not a green that I like. Fortunately, this passes fairly quickly. It dries down into a smoky camp-fire base--it smells as if you mixed some coal embers in with Hinoki. The two issues I have with this is that (1) I am not willing to suffer through the fern notes to get to the dry down and (2) while the dry down is good, this sort of thing has been done better and is more pronounced in other creations.

Re: Amouage: Epic v Memoir man - my thoughts

We make a lot of tea in our home. Not tea out of a bag, but first flush high quality $150/lb loose leaf teas brewed for specific times at specific temperatures and filtered in gold. There is a certain fragrance that comes from the leaves when they're being tossed out and I find that note to be very similar to the green opening in Memoir. The same? No. But definitely similar.

DG The One happens to be one of my more enjoyable fragrances and there is to my nose, only the most distant of similarities. I suppose if one had on The One and went to the fragrance counter to test Memoir Man, the result would not smell like there had been a catastrophe with the perfume lady.

Re: Amouage: Epic v Memoir man - my thoughts

It's unfortunate you don't like the opening of Memoir Man as it is basically half the story. Not sure about the D&G similarity but in case you haven't come across them these threads contain quite wide ranging discussion on Memoir Man, in particular, and how different people read the front and back:

Re: Amouage: Epic v Memoir man - my thoughts

Originally Posted by Daryl J.

We make a lot of tea in our home. Not tea out of a bag, but first flush high quality $150/lb loose leaf teas brewed for specific times at specific temperatures and filtered in gold. There is a certain fragrance that comes from the leaves when they're being tossed out and I find that note to be very similar to the green opening in Memoir. The same? No. But definitely similar.

DG The One happens to be one of my more enjoyable fragrances and there is to my nose, only the most distant of similarities. I suppose if one had on The One and went to the fragrance counter to test Memoir Man, the result would not smell like there had been a catastrophe with the perfume lady.

Re: Amouage: Epic v Memoir man - my thoughts

Nah....the PacNW is full of cultured peeps. There's always room for more of that. Although I must admit I was irked when first sampling Memoir Man thinking it was really quite good, walking into a Starbucks in Salmon Creek and having the fragrance covered up with Aroma'd'Latte!

Re: Amouage: Epic v Memoir man - my thoughts

Originally Posted by Daryl J.

Nah....the PacNW is full of cultured peeps. There's always room for more of that. Although I must admit I was irked when first sampling Memoir Man thinking it was really quite good, walking into a Starbucks in Salmon Creek and having the fragrance covered up with Aroma'd'Latte!

Good things matter here.

I suffer this scenario. I frequent starbucks and it doesn't take long for that aroma to permeate everything I take in there with me. Its almost pointless to wear a fragrance in there.

Re: Amouage: Epic v Memoir man - my thoughts

This scent takes a few wears to appreciate. There's a lot more going on than it appears at first. The rose and lavender in the heart are exquisite, as is the supple leather in the base that is faintly noticeable alongside the 'glowing embers accord.' The transition from the very green and 'alive' topnotes to the ashen and decayed base is wonderfully artistic, and ties into the scents concept in a brilliant way. A superb, 5 star scent, imo!

Re: Amouage: Epic v Memoir man - my thoughts

Originally Posted by SculptureOfSoul

This scent takes a few wears to appreciate. There's a lot more going on than it appears at first. The rose and lavender in the heart are exquisite, as is the supple leather in the base that is faintly noticeable alongside the 'glowing embers accord.' The transition from the very green and 'alive' topnotes to the ashen and decayed base is wonderfully artistic, and ties into the scents concept in a brilliant way. A superb, 5 star scent, imo!

Perhaps I was a premature-ejaculator but, (lol, got that from a movie) I am starting to see you point. I've been sniffing this all night and the complexity is in the transition between two different worlds. I will have to keep on sampling this.

Re: Amouage: Epic v Memoir man - my thoughts

I actually disagree with the OP's thoughts about the opening of MM. I don't really get the similarities to English Fern. I haven't smelled EF in a LONG time, but I found the opening of MM very unique, closest thing being Fou d'Absinthe, but even there I have to stretch to connect the two. IMO, Memoir Man is one of Amouage's most unique creations for men so far, alongside Dia and Reflection. Epic Man on the other hand, I feel is the opposite of MM and is a tad ubiquitous at this point following in the steps that a scent like M7 already traversed.

Re: Amouage: Epic v Memoir man - my thoughts

Originally Posted by mtgprox05

I actually disagree with the OP's thoughts about the opening of MM. I don't really get the similarities to English Fern. I haven't smelled EF in a LONG time, but I found the opening of MM very unique, closest thing being Fou d'Absinthe, but even there I have to stretch to connect the two. IMO, Memoir Man is one of Amouage's most unique creations for men so far, alongside Dia and Reflection. Epic Man on the other hand, I feel is the opposite of MM and is a tad ubiquitous at this point following in the steps that a scent like M7 already traversed.

I totally get the connection of MM to FdA. I agree on that. Epic, to me is nothing like M7, if thats what you're saying. I will give MM a full wearing tomorrow.

Re: Amouage: Epic v Memoir man - my thoughts

Originally Posted by Scentologist

I totally get the connection of MM to FdA. I agree on that. Epic, to me is nothing like M7, if thats what you're saying. I will give MM a full wearing tomorrow.

I think it's just that I'm very sensitive to oud as a note (or at least the common synthetic oud used in most fragrances), and it dominates on my skin. Epic to me smells like a much woodier rendition of M7. But like I said, perhaps I should have added a clarification in the prior post about my sensitivities to oud as a note.

Re: Amouage: Epic v Memoir man - my thoughts

Is anyone else getting a definite used engine oil/old repair shop accord with Epic? If I had to describe the first two hours of Epic, I'd have to say pencil shavings and used engine oil. But after that? It is really quite incredible. Mrs. J., however, was not interested in it. That means the bottle is all mine! (emoticon dancing a gleeful jig inserted here)